ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your doctor or other members of your health care team, to help you better understand your diagnosis, treatment plan, and overall care. To see other pages, use the menu on the side of your screen.

Talking often with the doctor is important[3] to make informed decisions about your health care. These suggested questions are a starting point to help you learn more about your medical care and treatment. You are also encouraged to ask additional questions that are important to you. You may want to print this list and bring it to your next appointment, or download Cancer.Net’s free mobile app[4] for an e-list and other interactive tools to manage your care.

What type of GTD do I have?

Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?

What is the stage of the tumor? What does this mean?

Is it low risk or high risk? What does this mean?

What are my treatment options?

What clinical trials are open to me? Where are they located, and how do I find out more about them?

What treatment plan do you recommend? Why?

What is the goal of each treatment? Is it to eliminate the tumor, help me feel better, or both?

Who will be part of my health care team, and what does each member do?

Who will be coordinating my overall treatment and follow-up care?

If I need surgery, what type of surgery do you recommend? Will I need to stay in the hospital? What will recovery be like?

If I need chemotherapy, which drug(s) will be given?

What are the possible side effects of each treatment, both in the short term and the long term?

Will I be able to have children after treatment? Should I talk with a fertility specialist before GTD treatment begins?

Do you recommend I wait following treatment to try to become pregnant? If so, how long? Is it OK to use birth control pills or other methods during this time?

Could this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long?

How will this treatment affect my daily life? Will I be able to work, exercise, and perform my usual activities?

If I’m worried about managing the costs related to my medical care, who can help me with these concerns?

What are the chances that the GTD will recur?

What follow-up tests will I need, and how often will I need them?

If I become pregnant in the future, are there specific tests or exams that I need? How often?

What support services are available to me? To my family?

Whom should I call for questions or problems?

The next section offers some more resources that may be helpful to you. Use the menu on the side of your screen to select Additional Resources, or you can select another section, to continue reading this guide.